Local and state governments, though often overshadowed by federal government, have tremendous impact on our quality of life. This podcast provides a valuable service by educating people on how to improve their own quality of life through civic engagement. Various organizations encourage residents to register and vote, but it does not appear that anyone is showing voters how to make good decisions when they do. It feels akin to hiring someone for a job without reviewing the job description. L ...
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Who is Running For School Board District 8?
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Dr. Onnie Poe and Mary Jane Abbott join the Local Matters family to share their thoughts on issues confronting our school system. They also tell us about their community involvement and why they believe they deserve your vote.Dr. Onnie PoeWebsite:drpoeforeducation.orgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onniepoe-fillinginthegaps/FB: https://www.fa…
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Who is Running for School Board District 5?
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Monique Braswell, Christopher Mulliens, and AK Hasan join the Local Matters family to share their thoughts on issues confronting our school system. They also tell us about their community involvement, and why they believe they deserve your vote.Monique FB: https://www.facebook.com/monique.braswell.5Cell#: 7063994343Christopher Mulliens Campaign FB:…
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Who is Running for School Board District 4?
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Shontae Boyd and Reginald Forrest join the Local Matters family to share their thoughts on issues confronting our school system. They also tell us about their community involvement and why they believe they deserve your vote.DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. Her thoughts, views, and opinions r…
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Host Janice Allen Jackson reviews what is on Richmond County ballots and the deadline for registering to vote. She also discusses the controversy created by the Georgia State Board of Elections when they announced changes in absentee ballot rules.To contact Mrs. Jackson for consulting or speaking engagements, please see the Contact Us page:www.Jani…
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Dr. Jovonni Spinner offers insight into her work focused on diminishing the impact of chronic disease among people of color and ensuring that healthcare providers are prepared to interact with and serve them culturally and competently. We touch on the social determinants of health, health disparities, and the evolution of public health.Beacon Publi…
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Ed Lowery, Richmond County Board of Education Trustee representing District 6, joins Local Matters to discuss his first year in office. We discuss what he gets the most complaints about, changes affecting our schools, and what parents and other family members can do to help our children succeed in school.DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janic…
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League of Women Voters of the Central Savannah River Area Co-presidents Dr. Gayla Keesee and Renthia Richardson join Local Matters to explain what the organization's origins, what it does, who can join, and how you can get involved. Get frequent updates at https://www.facebook.com/CSRALeagueofWomenVoters, email them at csra.lwv@gmail.com.DISCLAIMER…
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Dallas Frazier, Founder of Christian Sounds Entertainment (CSE) Media Group, joins the Local Matters family to update us on how technology is changing the radio business. We touch on generational differences in how we consume music, misconceptions about podcasts, and the best ways to get local news and information. Better known as Tony D, he also e…
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Hawthorne Welcher, Jr., Augusta's Director of Housing and Community Development, discusses what affordable housing is, how the city receives federal funds, the programs his department offers to help people with housing needs, and the day-to-day challenges and rewards of working in community development. If you want to find out if you qualify for as…
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Strong, Humble, and Elegant; The S.H.E Foundation
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Natisha Kearse is the Founder of the S.H.E Foundation. She talks about how her family has motivated her to put her ministry in action. She also discussed the S.H.E Awards and how the foundation uses its funds to help area students. You can reach out to her at sheministryinc@gmail.com or 803-335-8772. You can also follow them on Facebook at S.H.E Aw…
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Dr. Jermaine Whirl has been at the helm of Augusta Tech for four years. He shares updates on partnerships with Piedmont Hospital, the City of Augusta, the Augusta National Golf Course, and auto dealers. He also discusses the profile of today's technical college students and new programs in Burke and McDuffie Counties.To contact Mrs. Jackson for con…
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Shocking numbers of children in the United States and in Georgia are not reading on grade level. Children who are not reading proficiently suffer from low self esteem and increased chances for poor health. Councilwoman Smith discusses how churches, non-profit organizations, and individuals can help. We also talk about the efforts of the Georgia Mun…
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Will Biden and Trump Really Be on Your November Ballot?
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Traci George, Delegate to the Democratic National Convention, joins us to offer her perspective on whether there will be an attempt to nominate another candidate to run for President. She describes where her support lies and why. She also educates us on the process of becoming a delegate and the things happening behind the scenes. Learn more about …
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Alice Hardy Johnson, a recent recipient of an honorary doctorate and experienced social worker, joins us to discuss misconceptions about mental health. She also discusses her inspirational book of poetry, designed to use the scriptures to bring people through tough times.DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only f…
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Host Janice Allen Jackson explores results of the two runoff elections on the June 18 ballot. We congratulate Judge Elect Charles Lyons, and Democratic nominee for Sheriff, Eugene Brantley. She delves into why the winners won, and what factors are in play when an incumbent is defeated. DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is …
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Get Ready For June 18: Richmond County Sheriff
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Richmond County voters are faced with a choice regarding who will be the Democratic nominee for Sheriff. Learn more about how challenger Gino Brantley proposes to create a safer community, and to keep residents informed about the efforts of the Sheriff's Office.DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself…
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Get Ready for June 18: Superior Court Judge Runoff
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Voters in Richmond and Burke Counties have a choice to make. Listen to learn more about their perspectives on community involvement, how we can help keep the community safe, and how they build relationships with the right people.Charles Lyons FB: www.facebook.com/electcharleslyonsAttorney Matson's website: www.matsonforjudge.com/aboutDISCLAIMER: Lo…
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Pastor D. and Mrs. Lakesha Armstrong started the ministry in 2018, based upon a calling from God to serve. Mrs. Armstrong joins us to discuss their services and the challenges inherent in providing services to unhoused individuals. Located at 1739 Fenwick Street, Augusta, GA 30904, it is in the center of the Harrisburg community. Learn more about t…
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Today we discuss the winners and losers in Augusta's May 21 elections. By a wide margin, voters approved a referendum allowing the mayor to vote on all issues before the Augusta Commission. Incumbent Commissioners Jordan Johnson, Catherine Smith McKnight, and Francine Scott emerged victorious, as did District Attorney Jared Williams. Meanwhile, the…
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Who Wants the Democratic nomination for Georgia's 12th district?
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The two democratic candidates for Georgia's 12 Congressional District join us. In our conversation, we will delve into their background and experience, what they consider the major concerns impacting residents of the 12th district, and why they believe they are the best choice for voters. Listen to Daniel Jackson and Elizabeth"Liz" JohnsonDaniel Ja…
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Who Wants to be Your Superior Court Judge?
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Three Candidates for Superior Court Judge join us, They tell us why they are seeking the seat, their most notable accomplishment in public service, the policies they would implement to address the high number of probation violation cases, and their plans to address the practice of sentencing juveniles to life without parole. Listen to Attorney Char…
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Election 2024: Who Wants to be Your District Attorney?
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Two candidates for District Attorney join us. They tell us why they are seeking the seat, their most notable accomplishment in public service, the most significant action a District Attorney can take to create a safer community, and what they need from the community to succeed as the DA. Listen to Incumbent Jared Williams and challenger Amber Brant…
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Three candidates for Richmond County Sheriff join us. They tell us why they are seeking the seat, what they have accomplished in their public lives, and what their priorities are if elected. Listen to Eugene "Gino Rock" Brantley, Clarence Lucious “Bo” Johnson, and Richard Dixon. Brantley and Johnson are on the democratic ballot in May; if Dixon rec…
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Election 2024: Who Wants to Represent Augusta's Super District 9?
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Two candidates for Augusta Commission Super District 9 join us. They tell us why they are seeking the seat, what they have accomplished in their public lives, and what their priorities would be if elected. Listen to Incumbent Francine Scott and Marion Williams.DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself.…
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Election 2024: Who Wants to Represent Augusta's District 7
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Two candidates for Augusta Commission District 7 join us. They tell us why they are seeking the seat, what they have accomplished in their public lives, and what their priorities would be if elected. Listen to Tina Slendak and Dr.Marshall Bedder.Dr. Marshall Bedder campaign website: https://votebedder.com/Tina Slendak FB page: Tina Slendak for Augu…
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Election 2024: Who Wants to Represent Augusta's District 5?
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Two candidates for Augusta Commission District 5 join us. They tell us why they are seeking the seat, what they have accomplished in their public lives, and what their priorities would be if elected. Listen to Don "DC" Clark and Incumbent Bobby Williams."DC" Social Media: Facebook Don "DC" Clark for Augusta-Richmond County District 5 Commissioner B…
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Election 2024: Who Wants to Represent Augusta's District 3?
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Two candidates for Augusta Commission District 3 join us. They tell us why they are seeking the seat, what they have accomplished in their public lives, and what their priorities would be if elected. Listen to Carol Jones Yancy and Incumbent Catherine Smith Mcknight.Carol Yancy Social Media: FacebookElect Carol J Yancy for District 3 Commissioner C…
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Election 2024: Who Wants to Represent Augusta's District 1?
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Four of five candidates for Augusta Commission District 1 join us. They tell us why they are seeking the seat, what they have accomplished in their public lives, and what their priorities would be if elected. Listen to Matt Aitken, Incumbent Jordan Johnson, Kevin De l'Aigle, and Kenny Osorio!DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jacks…
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Host Janice Allen Jackson reviews key dates in Georgia elections, items on Augusta-Richmond County ballots, and how to make sure you can feel confident in the votes you cast. She also defines terms like "referendum" and "qualifying" to run for office.DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. Her thoug…
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Mourning Joy: Life Lessons from our Late Mothers
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Born out of a promise she made to her dying mother nearly eight years ago, Mourning Joy: Life Lessons From Our Late Mothers by Monique Williams is a heartfelt, thought-provoking, and potentially life changing collection of essays from women whose mothers are physically gone yet very present...and lessons learned that speak life still today. 11 'mot…
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Dannette Smith informs us how the child welfare system works and how it has changed in response to changing conditions and better data. We touch on the family-centered practice of child welfare, and how social workers look at issues of neglect vs. abuse. how social workers, juvenile justice workers, and juvenile court judges work together to determ…
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Investigative Reporting and the Death of Tyrique Robinson
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Liz Owens joins us to describe what investigative reporting is, and how she ensures that we have access to more than the routine 90 second stories. Using the Tyrique Robinson case as an example, we talk about how much time she spends reading regulations and laws, and how her natural curiosity and/or the public can set off a major investigation. She…
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Trigger warning: this episode contains sensitive topics such as sexual abuse, rape, and mental health.Mark Anthony Jenkins served 26 years in the NC State Prison System on a murder conviction. We have a very transparent conversation, covering topics such as verbal, physical and sexual abuse, running criminal enterprises while incarcerated, taking a…
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Hear from John Turpish and Kay Turner, candidates for Georgia House District 125. We also explain changes in state law that went into effect on January 1, the importance of the state legislature, and how judicial appointments are made.DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. She does not endorse cand…
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Does Year-Round School Mean School All Year?
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What does "Year Round School" really mean? Richmond county Board of Education Vice President Shawnda Stovall answers that question. She also discusses how the school board came to consider this option, her process for decision making, and the role of board members vs the role of staff. She also urges Richmond County parents, students, and community…
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Sustainable CSRA has taken on issues that affect marginalized residents, particularly people of color and those who live in low wealth communities. Those issues include accessbility to public transportation and the impact of air and water pollution. Chris Hall examines how transportation barriers not only impact the ability to get to work, but also…
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On Homelessness: It is OK to say You are Not OK
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Trigger warning: this episode contains sensitive topics such as drug abuse, sexual abuse, rape, and mental health.We never know a person's story until we ask them to tell us about it. Chimeco Hay explains what it is like to fall into and pull herself out of the complicated web of homelessness. We touch on many interwoven issues: financial counselin…
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Tonya Bonitatibus, Savannah Riverkeeper, joins us to describe her role as an environmental watchdog. Our conversation explores the intricate web connecting economic growth, environmental regulations, the long term health of workers in chemical plants and those who reside near their employers. Tonya's expertise is an eye-opener, explaining why we al…
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Public Works: The Hidden Local Government Service
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Joseph Blackman, Founder of Vitendo Solutions and host of The Public Works Podcast, joins us to discussion the most hidden of all local government services: Public Works. We touch on the "Brain Drain" that has resulted in loss of institutional history, how few people know what public works is, and how expensive it is to taxpayers when staff don't u…
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2023 has been a great year for the Local Matters Family. Host Janice Allen Jackson awards Local Matters Superlatives, highlighting the episodes you listened to and/or viewed most frequently. She also issues a call for ministries doing outstanding work to help those who are disadvantaged for various reasons become contributing members of society. We…
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Paws and Prejudice: Debunking Myths in Animal Advocacy
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Dennis Briatico been an animal advocate or a rescuer on and off for 26 years now. He's been working with animals in some capacity for 31 years. He's bounced around the rescue community fostering for different organizations and helping where he could but finally found where he feels like he belongs with FONAA. He's now dedicated to saving as many an…
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Is there a Foster Care to Prison Pipeline?
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Dr. Jackson Drumgoole joins us to discuss the particular challenges of young people aging out of foster care. Bridge Builder Communitites is now developing a tiny home community to address their needs. We discuss the trauma foster children experience, the consequences of that trauma, how important fathers are, and what can be done to give these you…
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People decide to start voting for various reasons. Elizabeth Hope Brown always voted in national elections but realized the importance of voting for state and local candidates after working in public service and having kids in the school system. We also talk about what it takes for her to feel more connected to the local government, and how the int…
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What To Do With An Underutilized Old Building with Barton Dake
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Seasoned architect Barton Drake explains what architects do, and how their work builds community for the future while valuing the past. Their work affects families, neighborhoods, and communities. We discuss adaptive re-use, being good stewards of the environment, energy efficiency, reducing operations costs, and using the human imagination to impa…
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Data is the Way to Democratize Use of Resources!
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Aja Brown is the Strategic Impact Partner at Forward Platform and former Mayor of Compton, CA. She helped make the connection between environmental justice, good data, and federal funding, with a particular focus on the Inflation Reduction Act and the Build Back Better Act. We touch on the impact of Climate Change, job creation, generation of clean…
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Dhrmaine Bradley aka Bobby Boucher has hosted More Than The Masters Podcast since 2016. He loves Augusta, and his podcast is dedicated to showcasing the various sides of Augusta. A native New Yorker, he has no plans to return. We discuss why people don't have pride in the city, how podcasters choose guests, the one thing he would change if he could…
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What Did We Do At the Polls? with Host, Janice Allen Jackson
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Host Janice Allen Jackson delves into the 2023 election results for Burke County, Columbia County, and Richmond County. In this insightful review, we'll break down the outcomes, analyze the implications, and discuss the impact on our local communities.To contact Mrs. Jackson for consulting or speaking engagements, please see the Contact Us page:www…
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How Can We Better Help the Homeless? with Bethany Trapp
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Bethany Trapp of the CSRA Economic Opportunity Authority describes what it is like to serve homeless people. She discusses the work of Augusta's Homeless Task Force, the need for a larger shelter and better coordination of all services, to include mental health, job preparation, and other services. We also tackle the issue of whether the problem is…
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Meet candidates Ceretta Smith and Deborah Fisher Join host Janice Allen Jackson in the latest episode of the Local Matters Podcast as she delves into the Grovetown mayor's race. Listen as she engages in a lively and informative discussion with mayoral candidates Ceretta Smith and Deborah Fisher. They will share their visions for Grovetown's future,…
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$433,000,000 for the Godfather? What A New James Brown Arena Could Mean
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Host, Janice Allen Jackson sits down with Cedric Johnson, Chair of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority, and Brad Usry, Vice Chair and New Arena Committee Chairman. In this special episode, Brad and Cedric discuss the upcoming November 7, 2023, C-SPLOST (Coliseum Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) vote, which aims to secure funding f…
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